Intervention
by dr100
Summary: Mr Smith has detected alien activity on a breezy Ealing night and alerts Luke, Clyde and Maria to a crashed space ship in the woodlands nearby. With Sarah Jane Smith in London on official business, it is left up to Luke, Clyde and Maria to stop UNIT.
1. Chapter 1: The Skitotski

Sarah Jane Adventures

Intervention

Chapter One: The Skitotski

By Nathan Mullins

* * *

><p>Clyde Langer was watching movies on his TV set in the corner of his room and wrapped up in bed. It was quiet, and he was happy, and his day had been busy, and this was his reward. But then he received a text message from Maria and it read: I'm coming over!' He sighed.<p>

He switched the screen to the home page and read the time. It was 9.00pm. He shook his head, and turned off his TV set. There had to be something wrong.

He flicked back to Maria's text and replied: 'No… meet me on Bannerman Rd!' When he sent the message off, he hopped out of bed, got dressed, and left a message for his mum if she were to discover his absence.

He crept from his room across the landing, and tiptoed downstairs into the main hall. His bag was already packed, but the front door was locked. He knew if he turned it, the game was over. His mum would come rushing out of bed to find out what he was up to. So he decided to leave via the back garden.

He ran through to the kitchen and turned the key in the back door, pushing it forward and shutting it behind him. He smiled and breathed a sigh of relief as his disturbances had not disturbed his mum. He wondered how Maria was getting on.

She too was finding leaving the house an issue. She had found a pair of slippers and crept about in those while worrying if her dad knew what she was up to given he was about to run into her on the landing. Maria turned a corner and suddenly she saw her dad with his hands on his hips.

"Maria?" he wondered, hands on his hips. "What are you doing up at this hour?"

"I'm…" she said, thinking aloud. "I'm hungry," she said. "I'm going down for something to eat!"

"I see," said Allan. "Well try not to stay up too late, you have school tomorrow!" he added.

Maria nodded, strolling past him. He turned back towards her, as she crept down the stairs and he carried on to bed.

Once downstairs, Maria reached for the door handle to the front door, and pulled it towards her. As she swung the door open, she encountered Clyde on the doorstep. "What are you doing here?" she asked him.

"You asked me to come!" he replied. "And now I'm here, can you offer an explanation as to what exactly is going on?"

Maria sighed.

"There's no time for that now!" she said, closing the door behind her. "We have Luke to catch up with!"

The pair crossed the road together and ran up the drive to greet Luke who too was on the doorstep waiting for them.

"What's going on Luke?" asked Clyde, the second he encountered him.

"Mr Smith's picked up an energy trace," he answered.

"Alien activity on a breezy Ealing night?" sighed Maria.

"Yes," said Luke.

"What has Sarah Jane to say about it?"

"Mum's in London on business," he said.

"So it's up to us to investigate!" replied Clyde.

"What about your mum and dad," asked Luke, bringing up both parents of his two friends? "Do they know where you are?"

"Are you kidding?" replied Clyde. "I can hardly admit to running along to meet Luke in the dead of night to nip out and save the Earth!"

"He has a point," chuckled Maria. "Dad said to me you have school in the morning so try not to stay up to late. If he only knew what we were up to!"

"If only…" Luke repeated.

"Come on then!" Clyde cut in, tugging Maria and Luke inside. Luke had left the door open for them to check with Mr Smith what was going on and why they were needed.

Luke was a little shaken by the intrusion of Mr Smith calling for Luke to investigate, but knew he too would call on Maria and Clyde for backup.

Clyde raced them upstairs into the attic.

Reaching Mr Smith in once corner of the attic, he approached the super computer with some hesitation before asking, - "So what's this all about then?"

Mr Smith would well have frowned if he were a human being, but answered, - "Has Luke not explained the urgency of events?"

Clyde shook his head. Just as Luke entered the attic, Clyde turned in his direction and yelled across the room to him, - "What are you not telling us?"

"Mr Smith said Unit are on their way," said Luke.

"What… now?" replied Maria, turning to look out from the nearest window. The street below was quiet and clear until she saw headlamps approaching.

"They're here now!" she warned them.

"Tell us what's going on Mr Smith" ordered Clyde.

"I have been drawn to an alien disturbance in Ealing, Clyde, and after researching into this disturbance, I discovered a crash site in the woodlands nearby."

"And what about Unit?" asked Maria. "Why are they here?"

"Unit traced the disturbance via my system. Sarah Jane had forgotten to shut me down before leaving for London."

"Great… so why alert Luke and then us?" asked Clyde.

"This is not a Unit Operation but a disturbance that has triggered Unit investigation. The result of this falling into the hands of United Nations Intelligence Taskforce may be disastrous…"

"Why's that?" Luke answered back.

"The ship that has crashed is known to my data bank as a Skitotski battle cruiser, and is not known to the taskforce."

"Oh boy!" murmured Clyde.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Maria crept from the attic to the landing to find out who was at the door. From the landing, she was unable to tell and so hobbled downstairs as quietly as she could for a closer look.

There were no small holes to look through between one side of the door to the other. Then there was another knock at the door, followed by a voice asking for Sarah Jane Smith. "Ms Smith, this is Unit, we'd like to talk!"

Maria ran back upstairs. Luke and Clyde were waiting for her.

"Who is it?" asked Luke.

"Come on Luke!" she replied, with some emphasis on the situation. "Who have we been discussing for the last five minutes?"

"Mr Smith…" announced Clyde. "Where can we locate the Skitotski battle cruiser?"

"The woodlands," replied Mr Smith. "You must hurry, there is little time left. Avoid detection at all costs!"

"Shut down Mr Smith!" ordered Luke.

They all watched as the machinery folded away behind a brick wall in the corner of the attic. Then they were drawn back onto the landing for a second time, having heard the front door blown off its hinges. Smoke was rising from the explosion and Luke shuffled back into the attic, followed by Maria and Clyde.

"We're trapped!" declared Maria.

Clyde bolted the attic.

"Not quite," said Luke. "We can use the window. We've rope in the cupboard, for extreme emergencies you understand?"

"Luke…" said Maria. "This is an extreme emergency!"

One by one, the three of them clambered out from the attic window into the back garden using rope to climb down onto the green house not much of a way down from the ground. As they jumped from the green house into the garden, they hid for a short while, until Unit found nothing and left empty handed.

"Good work guys!" congratulated Clyde.

"Now to the woodlands!" insisted Maria.

"Pity we didn't stick around, we may have been given a lift there and back," said Clyde. "Who knows…? Unit may be quite nice!"

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2: Under Attack

Sarah Jane Adventures

Intervention

Chapter Two: Under Attack

By Nathan Mullins

* * *

><p>Luke and Clyde walked on either side of Maria as they journeyed onwards to discover the crashed spaceship in the woods nearby.<p>

It was pitch black. The night sky was littered in stars and planets. The breeze was warm and the coats worn by all three teenagers were unnecessary accessories. Hot and bothered in the confusion, Luke confessed: "I was worried you'd all be unable to make it tonight!"

"Come on Luke, you know us, we're not going to let you down!" insisted Maria. She put an arm around him as did Clyde.

"Have you ever heard of the Skitotski Luke?" asked Clyde.

When Luke first heard Mr Smith give his explanation as to who was behind the crash landing, Clyde saw him shiver as if in fear of the name itself.

When he asked Luke a second time, he admitted he had heard of them somewhere before but didn't know where.

"Pity the Doctor's not about, eh?" said Clyde. "He could give us a lift!"

"This lazy attitude of yours Clyde will get you nowhere!"

"Ah, but I'm only lazy when it comes to having to walk for miles and miles. When it comes to my artwork, and the time I put into my work, I try my hardest to achieve great results!"

"Sure…" said Maria, rolling her eyes.

"It's true!" said Clyde.

"And… we've reached the woodlands," declared Luke.

The three teenagers stared ahead of them, as smoke was rising from the tree tops some way into the woodlands.

"Come on!" said Luke, rushing forward so Maria and Clyde had a way to catch up with him.

There was no time to spare. They all had to concentrate on their efforts to beat Unit, yet there was no sign of them. Then while Luke tripped up over a branch in a clearing, he was clobbered over the head and dragged into the darkness.

"Luke?" called Clyde.

"Where are you, Luke?" cried Maria.

There was no sign of him.

"Where is he?" asked Clyde.

"Down!" shrieked Maria, as she caught a glimpse of a creature pressing forward in the darkness.

"What is it?" mumbled Clyde. "What's wrong?"

"There's something moving up ahead!"

Maria was crouched behind a tree stump beside Clyde. She was able to see over the stump without being noticed.

"It's not seen us!" she said, rising up to work out what it was. Clyde joined her in working out what was going on. "Do you think Luke's been taken by them… the Skitotski?" he wondered. "He was terrified of them, you saw him shiver, it was almost natural, - not saying I don't consider Luke a human being…"

"We must find him!" replied Maria. "We must!"

"We will," said Clyde. "First we must make contact with the Skitotski.!"

"But what if they're who have kidnapped Luke?"

"Then we can make a bargain with them in getting him back and prevent Unit from stepping in to make matters worse!"

"Good idea!" admitted Maria. Come on… let's go!"

As Maria and Clyde set off, they failed to spot a figure creeping up behind them. The figure in the dark was a Unit Officer and he was on site to maintain constant surveillance. Upon discovery, the arrival of Luke, Clyde and Maria were given priority status and to be looked after so to speak.

"This is unit officer Miller…I have two teenagers from the Bannerman Road in my sights! What action should I take?"

"Keep constant watch Miller! Do not let them out of your sights!"

The voice of the Group Captain in command of the operation crackled over Miller's handheld device.

"Understood!" replied Miller, stuffing the device back in his pocket. He reached forward, and jumped the tree stump used as a hideaway by Maria and Clyde and followed them further into the woodlands.

"What if these creatures are unfriendly?" asked Maria, turning to Clyde.

"That's no problem," he said. "We've encountered the Bane and we handled them without so much as a struggle and look…" he said, revealing a canister of vinegar on his person.

"You carry around with you a can of vinegar?" remarked Maria.

"Always!" replied Clyde.

Rushing on, Maria turned to him again, and said, - I have a feeling we're being followed!"

"What makes you say that?" Clyde asked, stopping, to hear then foot prints some distance behind him, but it was so quiet it was possible to hear all sorts of small noises, depending on how near or far they were.

He turned around and asserting his authority, bellowed – "Whoever you are, I demand you come out and show yourself!"

From out of the darkness appeared an enormous creatures with evil in its mind and eyes red and devilish.

"Stay back!" ordered Clyde, Maria quickly throwing him a stick, and he held it ahead of him, jabbing forward.

"You are a witness!" uttered the creature, snapping the stick and grabbing at Clyde. "You will not be the first victim of our kind!"

"Luke?" blabbed Maria, reaching for a branch of her own to use against the Skitotski.

"You better not have!" shouted Clyde.

The creature was about to pounce on them when the unit officer following them reached them in time, pulled free from his belt a firearm and opened fire. The creature staggered back and alarmed, Maria and Clyde emerged the victors over the Skitotski.

"Who are you?" asked Clyde.

"I work for UNIT!" the officer informed him.

"Thanks for stopping by!" Clyde mocked him.

"Enough Clyde," Maria insisted. "Where's Luke?"

"The boy's with us!" answered the officer. "And now you're to be considered under arrest!"

"Why? We've done nothing wrong!" protested Maria.

"You have hampered a UNIT operation. You're to do as we ask from now on!"

"And if we fail to do what you say?" wondered Clyde. "What will you do with us then?"

"Yeah…" said Maria, on Clyde's wavelength. "Lock us up? Tell Sarah Jane?"

"No…" said the Officer. "Tell your parents, and that should give them some idea as to what you have been up to, and where you've got to!"

"Alright," said Clyde, giving in. "We surrender!"

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3: In the thick of it

Sarah Jane Adventures

Intervention

Chapter Three: In the thick of it

By Nathan Mullins

* * *

><p>Officer Miller led Maria and Clyde through the woodlands.<p>

"What are you doing out here this late at night?" he asked them.

They were careful not to disturb the quiet. Maria and Clyde said nothing.

"Had you uncovered the crash site by mistake perhaps?" he asked them.

The teenagers remained silent.

"Why the woodlands and not your local area?"

Miller had let slip he knew who they were but they seemed unfazed from the facial expressions they gave. Nevertheless, they had some idea the officer knew of their activities. How else had he known of Sarah Jane or of their parents.

He expected an answer to at least one of his questions. The rest he would work out for himself and then leave to his superior.

He had warned them of the presence of an alien life form roaming the woodlands.

They had all glimpsed the creature in the moonlight but as Mr Smith put it… Unit were not to engage the Skitotski or else there would be bloodshed.

It was then that they came to a clearing. Miller was greeted by another UNIT officer.

"Come along," he said after a moment or so.

They were led into a camp of just over six officers who were preparing to move out.

"What's going on?" asked Clyde.

"If you're thinking about engaging these creatures, I'd think again If I were you!" Maria warned them.

Miller turned to Maria and asked why.

"First of all…" said Clyde, expressing his pleasure the interruption brought him. "What have you done with Luke?"

"Release the boy!" declared Miller.

An officer left and returned with Luke and the three teenagers were reunited.

"Now… you were saying?" he said, turning to Maria. "…about those we face in the woodlands, the visitors to this world?"

"Ah yes," she said, turning to Luke and Clyde. "Hold on a moment…"

She turned on her heel, and held a discussion with her two best friends.

"You can't tell them how we know our stuff!" said Clyde. "They'll want to know more, ultimately involving Sarah Jane!" and he wasn't sure he liked the idea.

"But remember what Miller said on our way here? How he knew our local area?" Maria reminded him. "Unit obviously know who we are and of Sarah Jane!"

Luke reached for his mobile and considered using it.

"What are you doing?" asked Clyde.

"So what if we call mum and ask her to come down here and sort this mess out? She can't refuse!"

"Yeah… but why should she come and bail us out when we can do that for ourselves. Mr Smith asked us to stand in for Sarah Jane so the least we can do is do our best to defend the Earth from both Unit and the Skitotski!"

"But what if there's trouble and Sarah Jane finds out?" wondered Maria. "She'll want to know why we failed to call her!"

"If she wonders why…" said Clyde. "We can say it's all Mr Smith's fault!"

"So we blame our mistake on Mr Smith?" Maria repeated. "To be honest…" she said, smiling towards Luke. "I'd rather call Sarah Jane!"

Luke pulled his mobile from his pocket once more when Miller stood in and took his phone from him.

"What are you doing?" demanded Maria, stepping forward angrily.

"I've confiscated your mobile… for the time being," he answered.

"And why's that?" replied Clyde.

"Because I'm still waiting for an answer to my question," answered Miller. "Tell us or we have orders to use you as bait!"

To be continued...


	4. Chapter 4: Secrets Revealed

Sarah Jane Adventures

Intervention

Chapter Four: Secrets Revealed

By Nathan Mullins

* * *

><p>"Use us as bait?" Clyde repeated, as much to himself as the others.<p>

"Indeed!" insisted Miller. "Talk!" he ordered.

Maria stepped forward.

"No Maria!" murmured Clyde but she ignored him.

"We've been told things," she said.

"By who?" asked Miller.

"We can't say," said Maria. "Just take my word for it when I tell you that to engage these creatures would be a mistake!"

Miller turned to his men. They were about to move out.

"Stand down!" he ordered.

His men turned back and unloaded their back packs, huddling around Miller and those he was questioning.

"What's going on?" they asked him.

"Something odd," he said.

Not too far away in the city of London, Sarah Jane was in an office of a high profile media organisation when she started receiving strange readings from her sonic lipstick. It informed her of there being alien activity in the vicinity.

She reached for her mobile and dialled home, expecting Luke to pick up and take her call, but he didn't.

"Something's wrong," she mumbled, quickly packing her belongings ready to head home.

She tried Luke's mobile and instead she reached Miller.

"Who's this?" she demanded.

Miller turned to Luke and grinned mischievously.

"This must be Sarah Jane Smith?" said Miller. "I've been waiting for your call for some time now."

"You never answered my question," replied Sarah Jane angrily.

"I am Unit Officer Miller," the soldier answered.

"Where's my son?" asked Sarah Jane.

"He's safe and in the company of friends," answered Miller. "Where are you?"

"I'm in London," she said with a grin on her face.

There was a pause on the other end of the line.

"You see…" she said, with her bag packed and turning to leave the office. "Unit have changed and all you want from me is information. Instead Luke and his friends are your prisoners I take it until Unit discover who they're dealing with!"

"You're spot on!" declared Miller.

"Will you come looking for me I wonder?"

"Perhaps…"

"… and in that case, I'm leaving here this instant, well aware you're tracking my position or otherwise tracing this call to this office!"

"You're too late I'm afraid."

"I'm sorry?"

As Sarah Jane edged towards the door to the office, she shuddered backwards in alarm as armed men closed in on her position, with Miller on the other end of the line chuckling with glee.

"You're coming with us!" declared a Unit officer.

Sarah Jane had no choice but to surrender.

"Mum!" yelped Luke, as he let out his anger towards Miller.

"You should be pleased she's coming home!" he said fiercely.

He turned to his men huddled about the three teenagers.

"We have work to do!" he announced.

To be continued...


	5. Chapter 5: Caution

Sarah Jane Adventures

Intervention

Chapter Five: Caution

By Nathan Mullins

* * *

><p>Miller turned his attention to Maria, Clyde and Luke.<p>

"Come along," he said. "You're coming with us!"

"Must we?" sighed Maria.

"Of course," said Miller. "We have our orders."

"And what are your orders?" snapped Clyde. "Come on… let's hear them!"

"To use you as bait!" Miller reminded them. "Come along!"

Sarah Jane was in a car on her way to the woodlands.

"Have you any idea who you're dealing with?" she asked the driver who in turn was a Unit officer. "I can't wait to make my report to Sir Alistair!"

The driver turned to face her. He stopped the car.

"Sir Alistair is no longer in charge of Unit!"

Sarah Jane frowned.

"I demand to know what is going on!" she made clear.

"Of course," said the driver. "I am acting on the orders of Officer Miller, who is investigating into alien phenomena in Ealing."

"What 'alien phenomena?'" she replied.

"Reports were made by local residents of a bright glow disappearing in the woodlands just after dark. It was in the woodlands that we discovered friends of yours. We soon made a connection."

"Yes, right…" she said thinking about it some more. "And what's this Officer Miller like?"

The driver didn't turn to look around.

"He is a high ranking officer who wants to be recognised for his work and will stop at nothing to achieve results," he answered.

The woodlands were calm and peaceful. There was no sign of alien activity and yet Luke sensed he and the others were being watched.

As he and his friends kept up with the others, he saw a shadow cut across the trunk of a tree out of the corner of his eye.

He stopped dead in his tracks.

Miller stopped just ahead of him.

"What is it Luke?" he asked him, walking up to him past his men.

Luke looked up at the officer and shook his head.

"Nothing," he said.

"Why did you stop?"

"I had something in my eye…" he lied.

"Is that so?" muttered Miller.

He took out his gun and fired into the air.

Clyde and Maria darted forward to see that Luke was alright.

"What are you doing?" demanded Clyde.

"Luke… are you alright?" asked Maria, an arm around his shoulder comforting him.

"Yes… I'm fine," said Luke.

"I warn you!" declared Miller.

He was breathing heavily. His men saw his anger and frustration. Another officer stepped forward.

"I think we all need to calm down!" he insisted.

It was then they all heard something frightening. The sound of a fierce creature ready to pounce on them, from all directions.

"I demand you show yourself!" ordered Miller. "This is the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce!"

Maria kicked him in the shin.

"What did I say earlier…" she reminded him. "You must not, under any circumstances, engage these creatures!"

Miller pushed Maria aside.

"You will be punished!" he declared.

"You must listen to Maria!" insisted Luke. "You must not engage these creatures!"

"I demand you tell me why not!" ordered Miller.

It was then Sarah Jane Smith appeared with an escort behind her.

Miller turned his attention to the woman with a smugness to her. He reached for his pistol and aimed at her.

"What are you doing?" cried Maria.

"NO!" yelped Luke.

To be continued…


	6. Chapter 6: New Arrivals

Sarah Jane Adventures

Intervention

Chapter Six: New Arrivals

By Nathan Mullins

* * *

><p>Miller held the gaze of his new arrival Ms Sarah Jane Smith.<p>

"I demand you tell me what I want to know!" declared Miller.

"I'm afraid not," she mumbled. "You see," she said, speaking up for herself as she saw Miller clench the trigger of his pistol.

Sarah Jane dived forward as a bullet escaped the pistol, with Luke charging at Miller knocking his gun from his hands. The gun fell to the ground and fired again, this time into the darkness.

After going down, Sarah Jane looked up at Miller and confessed, - "I'm sure, if you were Unit personnel you'd know full well how I know these things… _how 'we' know these things, _and as such I begin to wonder if you really do work for Unit…"

She was helped up by Clyde who had cut across the woodlands to distract the others while Maria fetched Miller's pistol, but for reasons unknown, failed to return from the darkness.

"Maria?" called Clyde, but she gave no reply.

He ran back to where he had left her to find nothing.

Luke reached his mum and Clyde to ask where Maria had got to when Miller engaged them in discussion.

"You question my authority… Sarah Jane Smith?"

The soldiers in his midst stood at ease with their superior.

Sarah Jane turned to the men who had accompanied her.

"How long have you served with Unit officer Miller?" she asked them.

"It must be three weeks now…" said one.

"Three weeks?" she repeated. "Not long enough to get to know the officer in question, would you agree?"

Miller stepped forward uneasily.

"You will be silent Sir!" insisted Miller.

The officer fell silent.

Sarah Jane turned back to Miller.

"You refuse to take any notice of what we say because as I understand it, from the readings I'm receiving from my sonic lipstick… you're not entirely human!"

Miller shook his head in disbelief. He frowned, turning to his men and expecting them to do the same but they didn't. They were beginning to take some notice.

"You know… Ms Smith, you're the first person I've come across to make any sense, and you're right of course. I'm not who I say I am."

Clyde watched in horror as Miller revealed himself as a Slitheen.

"What?" he bellowed.

"A Slitheen Clyde!" hissed Miller. "A clever disguise…"

"What's going on here?" he added.

The Slitheen crawled forward from the skin suit of the real Miller. It's heavy green flesh sank from its body.

"Oh-no… stay back!" ordered Clyde.

He took out from his pocket a bottle of vinegar. Sarah Jane turned to him in amazement.

"You see…" he said. "I came prepared!"

"Oh you have been busy," the Slitheen groaned.

"Just tell me one thing, that's all… just one thing!" insisted Sarah Jane.

"What on earth are you doing here?" she asked, furiously.

"The Skitotski have arrived on this world Ms Smith! They will feast on humanity and with my help this can be so. I will engage the Skitotski in conflict and this will lead to world domination - the like that will see the Skitotski reign victorious."

"…and you will die in the conflict too!" she informed him.

"…and your point is?" the Slitheen retorted. "I will have my moment when the Earth is no more!"

"But why should you want to see the Earth destroyed?" she asked him.

"My brethrin were obliterated long ago," explained the Slitheen, - "…in their quest to conquer and destroy this world in an invasion attempt foiled by an alien…"

"The Skitotski?" pondered Luke.

"A Doctor," answered the Slitheen.

"I see," said Sarah Jane. "Well let me tell you this, the Doctor and I go way back and I'm not going to let you do this!"

"So you choose to stand in my way Ms Smith? I wish the bullet had finished you off! It looks like the hunt is back on!"

To be continued…


	7. Chapter 7: The Hunt

Sarah Jane Adventures

Intervention

Chapter Seven: The Hunt

By Nathan Mullins

* * *

><p>Previously:<p>

Miller held the gaze of his new arrival Ms Sarah Jane Smith.

She saw Miller clench the trigger of his pistol.

The gun fell to the ground and fired again, this time into the darkness.

Maria fetched Miller's pistol, but for reasons unknown, failed to return from the darkness.

The Slitheen crawled forward from the skin suit of the real Miller. It's heavy green flesh sank from its body.

"So you choose to stand in my way Ms Smith? I wish the bullet had finished you off! It looks like the hunt is back on!"

"Run!" yelled Sarah Jane as she took Luke and Clyde by both hands and legging it into the darkness. The Slithen however was close behind.

"You cannot outrun me!" insisted the Slitheen, clawing at its harsh surroundings, desperate to keep up with the others.

Sarah Jane reached for her sonic lipstick and zapped a branch behind her. It quickly caught fire blocking the creature's path. This gave them some time.

"What's happened to Maria?" asked Luke.

He saw that neither his mum nor Clyde knew.

"We must find her!" stated Luke. "She can't be far!"

"What about the Skitotski?" Clyde reminded him. "Remember we're not only dealing with the Slitheen!"

"Oh yeah," agreed Luke. "But where are the Skitotski?"

"Where are they indeed?" wondered Sarah Jane.

A unit officer cut in.

"Sorry to inturrupt Ms Smith but as second in command, I'd quite like an explanation!"

"Wouldn't we all?" she replied.

Maria had searched for Miller's pistol to discover it had disappeared. After Luke had challenged Miller, the gun had clattered to the ground and fired once more into the darkness and while Clyde distracted the guards, she slipped deeper into the woodlands.

As she wandered deeper into the unknown, she constantly reached out for branches that cut across her path. She couldn't see a thing. It was all far too dark. At one point, she slipped and stumbled backwards. She realised she was no longer alone. This was a trap.

"Is there anyone there?" she called.

She heard a grunting noise from up ahead.

"Who's there?" she called again.

Then something swept her up off her feet.

"Whoever you are, I demand to be put down!" she shrieked while being carried off into the darkness.

The soldiers had taken in what Sarah Jane had told them and were now prepared to act on her orders. The fire that spread through the woodlands had seen the Slitheen retreat but with Maria on her own out there, Sarah Jane was worried for her safety.

"I think it would be a good idea to search for my young friend Maria," said Sarah Jane, turning to the soldiers.

Two unit officers passed her by and saluted.

"Be careful!" she said. "Take this…" She gave them her sonic lipstick. They had seen the devastation it unleased on the Slitheen's surroundings. "Use this if things get out of hand!" she advised them. The soliders nodded and left.

"What's going on?" asked Luke, staring up at his mum from the tree stump she had climbed up on to. "If the Skitotski are up to no good…" he continued. "… they're being very secretive about it!"

"I agree," said Sarah Jane. "We've not once come across the Skitotski yet!" she said.

"Well that's not strictly true," said Clyde. "When Luke was captured by Miller, Maria and I were about to be pounced on by this whopping great monster. Miller then jumped out on us and saved our lives!"

"Is that so?" she replied. "I wonder what he's playing at!" she wondered.

"Who?" asked Luke.

"Miller," she said. "He wants to stir things up…"

"Of course he does," remarked Clyde. "You heard what he said!"

"Yes but if he's on the side of the Skitotski, why should he turn against them?" replied Luke.

"There's something strange going on," mumbled Sarah Jane, as much to herself and the others around her. "We must find Maria and locate the Skitotski!"

To be continued…


	8. Chapter 8: Finding Maria

Sarah Jane Adventures

Intervention

Chapter Eight: Finding Maria

By Nathan Mullins

* * *

><p>The trio crept through the woods with an escort some distance behind them. The Slitheen was nowhere in sight and there was no sign of Maria.<p>

The two soldiers in possession of the sonic lipstick had gone on ahead. They had reached a clearing close to their camp. The fire they had going had fizzled out and their tents had collapsed. It was then the lipstick began to hum.

There was a terrifying scream from somewhere in the darkness. The shriek of pain and cause for concern.

"Come on!" declared Sarah Jane as she led the way.

They ran on with an idea who it was who screamed. It was Clyde who discovered the bodies.

"Looks like the Slitheen stopped by!" he said, uncovering the find.

The sonic lipstick had been crushed.

"No sign of Maria," said Luke.

"I have a feeling she may have encountered the Skitotski…" replied Sarah Jane.

"Then we must hurry and find her!" said Clyde. "If that's so… she's in terrible danger!"

They hurried along until they too came to a clearing. They stopped dead in their tracks. Ahead of them was the Slitheen.

"You thought you had given me the slip?" it sniffled. "You will now die! With you out of the way, I may do as I so wish!"

"Not this time!" said Clyde.

"You think you can stop me?" the Slitheen bellowed. "I would like to see you try!"

"Tell me…" said Sarah Jane, as she stepped ahead of Clyde. "Why attack the Skitotski if you're on their side?"

"I care not for the Skitotski," answered the Slitheen, "…as I care not for you pathetic humans!"

The creature was ready to pounce when Clyde ran forward with his jar of vinega and threw it at the Slitheen.

"Clyde… no!" declared Sarah Jane, as she ducked for cover.

It bust into sludge before their very eyes.

"And that's the Slitheen taken care of," said Luke, helping his mum to her feet.

Maria surveyed her surroundings. She was lost. She was in the company of those who had crashed to Earth. The only alien threat she believed was at the very centre of all this and her reasons for involvement in saving planet Earth.

"You must be the Skitotski!" she declared.

The creatures turned in her direction and chuckled at her outburst.

"What's so funny?" she asked them.

The creatures did not answer.

"What do you want with me?"

The silence was terrifying.

Sarah Jane shook her head while inspecting the remains of the Slitheen and turned to Clyde.

"That was uncalled for," she said to him. "We may have been able to come to some agreement…"

"Over what exactly?" moaned Clyde. "With the Slitheen out of the way, we have one less alien threat to think about!"

Sarah Jane turned to Luke and he too shrugged.

"Maybe your right," she said. "I honestly don't know…"

The soldiers were tasked with taping the area off until they were able to call for assistance in the clean up operation.

It was now 1.00AM. It would soon be light and Maria was still nowhere to be found, until Luke recognised tracks.

"Clyde… mum, take a look at these!" he said, calling them over to his find.

"Footprints," said Clyde. "Well done Luke!"

Sarah Jane led the way until they made an awesome discovery.

"The crashed ship!" cheered Luke.

"Maria must be around here somewhere," said Clyde.

"Hold on…" said Sarah Jane. "Look…"

And there ahead of them was Maria. She was being led from the ship into the woodlands.

"Come on!" said Clyde.

They ran towards the ship, creeping up behind the guard and attacking the creature with a branch in a hope to rescue Maria.

Somehow she wriggled from the guards grip and staggered back to where Sarah Jane was hiding when there was a terrifying explosion close behind them. The ship exploded and burst into flames.

"That's what I meant to warn you about!" huffed Maria, the shock of the ship going up up having taken her breath away. "The Skitotski set a trap! They knew you would come looking!"

"And where were they going Maria? Did they say?"

Maria shook her head.

"I've no idea," she answered. "But there's something else," she said, turning back to the creature Luke and Clyde had seen to.

"What do you mean?" asked Sarah Jane.

"I don't know," said Maria. "But we're bound to find out!"

To be continued…


	9. Chapter 9: The reveal of the Skitotski

Sarah Jane Adventures

Intervention

Chapter Nine: The reveal of the Skitotski

By Nathan Mullins

* * *

><p>The Skitotski ship exploded and Maria was safe. Sarah Jane took her in her arms as she thanked her for the rescue.<p>

"It's okay" said Sarah Jane as she comforted her young friend. "What were you doing?"

Maria turned back to the Skitotski fleeing the flames from their ship. There wasn't time to explain.

"Tell me later," said Sarah Jane as she helped Maria to her feet and approached the others.

Luke and Clyde had tied up the creature who held Maria hostage and were stood on guard waiting for their friends.

"You do realise we have the Skitotski to face!" said Clyde, pointing out the creatures swarming towards them.

Sarah Jane stepped forward and declared, - "Stop right there!"

The Skitotski stopped.

"You dare stand in our way?" sneered one. "You will soon die!"

"Hardly…" said Sarah Jane. "That is…" she sighed. "I wouldn't dare stand in your way…"

"Yes…" said Maria. "We're well aware of your destructive capabilities!"

"So what is the meaning of this?" the Skitotski demanded.

"You are among the most feared life forms in the galaxy," said Sarah Jane.

"Yeah…" agreed Clyde. "You're up there with the Daleks and the Bane and the…"

"… Clyde!"

Clyde Langer turned to Sarah Jane and then to the Skitotski.

"Sorry," he said.

"…and your point is?" the Skitotski barked back terrifyingly.

"What are you doing here? And… if you're up to no good… why have you been so quiet?" demanded Sarah Jane.

"Is there any rush to destroy this world?" the Skitotski retorted. "Or perhaps you require an explanation as to our activities?"

Sarah Jane took a step backwards as the Skitotski moved forwards.

"You seriously believed we were the most feared life forms in the galaxy?" said one. "Who told you that?"

Sarah Jane turned to her friends and Maria and Clyde stepped forward.

"It was Mr Smith," they said.

The Skitotski chuckled among themselves. Sarah Jane turned her attention to them and trembled as she asked, 'what was wrong'.

"You would trust the word of a Xylok, Ms Smith? That does not surprise me. We have already infiltrated UNIT and now even you and your associates believe we are who we say we are… but we are not!"

"Who or what are you then if your not the Skitotski?" murmured Clyde.

The Skitotski reached for a now accessible 'feature' in their skin and suddenly their previous existence fizzled out and now in their place stood an army of Slitheen.

"Satisfied?" said one, rising from the skin suit of it's victim.

"Not entirely," replied Sarah Jane. "Just what do you want?"

"To destroy the Earth!" said another. "And you with it!"

To be continued…


	10. Chapter 10: Back In Action

Sarah Jane Adventures

Intervention

Chapter Ten: Back In Action

By Nathan Mullins

* * *

><p>"And what of the Skitotski? Did they exist at all?" asked Luke.<p>

"Of course," said a Slitheen, stepping out from among the others. "For a while, we became the Skitotski."

Sarah Jane whispered something to Maria and she passed it on to the others.

"The Skitotski have now been defeated. We have wiped them out!"

"And were they as evil as Mr Smith claimed?" Maria trembled.

The Slitheen shook it's head, - swaying almost.

"The Xylok is not a trustworthy source of information, Ms Smith. It is what has led to your downfall!"

The Slitheen dived forward but Sarah Jane, Luke, Maria and Clyde had fled. Instead the Slitheen leader untied their prisoner and asked, - "Where is Miller?"

There was a short pause. The Slitheen sensed there was something wrong. Their leader took in a snort of fresh air and staggered back in alarm.

"What is it leader?" asked one, concerned.

"Miller is dead."

"But how?" gasped another.

The others gathered around their leader.

"The humans who stand in our way have discovered our weakness."

"Then we must tread carefully," said one from the back of the group pushing forward.

"We must seek revenge!" hinted their leader. "Ignore Ms Smith and her pesky friends… we will go ahead with the destruction of this world!"

Sarah Jane pushed on through the woodlands. She turned to her friends who smiled back at her kindly. Luke checked his watch. It was now morning.

"Why would Mr Smith betray us?" he asked.

"I've no idea…" said Sarah Jane. "Perhaps he made a mistake?"" she sighed. "We all make mistakes, after all…"

"Maybe," said Clyde. "But what I want to know is where have UNIT got to? Do they think we can handle this on our own?"

"Hmm," they agreed.

"Come on!" yelled Sarah Jane as she ran on.

"Where?" called Maria.

"UNIT HQ!" she replied.

In a garden in the country miles out of Ealing, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart was hard at work. He was in a chair with a pen in his hand and paper in his lap. Beside him was a telephone and a mug of tea. The sun was coming up, the air was warm, and the breeze was cool.

Suddenly the telephone began to buzz and the Brigadier picked it up and asked, - "Who's there?"

"Hello… Alistair?" echoed a voice the like the Brigadier hadn't heard in years. "Brigadier?" - the voice crackled. There was a fault somewhere.

"Sarah Jane Smith?" replied the Brigadier, but he wasn't heard, and so Sarah Jane put the phone down.

The Brigadier hung up and fetched his things.

Sarah Jane turned to the officer in command. She shook her head.

"So you have been unable to contact the Brigadier?" the officer sneered. "And you expect me to believe you and your 'friends' have run in to a spot of bother in the woodlands involving visitors from the stars?"

The officer was sceptical.

"You do realise you work for Unit?" mocked Sarah Jane.

"It's all true!" said Luke.

"Yes… ask your men!" shouted Clyde.

"…none of whom have returned from the woodlands!" grumbled the officer. "You say there is danger to confront? Who this time?"

Sarah Jane was astonished.

"The Slitheen," she said. "They plan to destroy the Earth!"

"Really?" gasped the officer. "Something must be done…"

Somehow Sarah Jane didn't quite take him seriously.

"Now look here… we've not come all this way to be ignored!" she bellowed.

"Do not raise your voice at me!" declared the officer. "After all… I do believe you…"

The officer reached for a similar 'feature' to that the Skitotski pulled to reveal their true identities.

"RUN!" gulped Clyde.

Sarah Jane skidded towards the exit and held the door open for her friends to squeeze through. Behind them, they heard the screams of the Slitheen as it transformed. "I will find you Ms Smith and I will kill you!" it chanted.

"What's happening mum?" murmured Luke as he ran beside her. "It's as if the Slitheen have invaded already."

"Yes," she agreed. "They said they infiltrated UNIT but what if they know everything?"

"What do you mean?" asked Maria, doing her best to keep up.

"What if the Slitheen have been here for a while? In that time, they could get up to all sorts of things, none of it good!"

The Slitheen was close behind them. They came to an exit and rushed through it, bolting it behind them.

"So what now?" asked Clyde. "If even our close allies are not to be trusted… what do we do now?"

"We run!" said Sarah Jane.

"Run?" snapped Clyde. "Run where? The Slitheen are everywhere!"

"Home!" she said.

Waiting for them on the doorstep of 13 Bannerman Road was the Brigadier.

"Sarah Jane Smith!" he said, greeting his friend with open arms.

"Brigadier!" she replied, so pleased to see him. "I tried calling you but the line was faulty."

"Never mind…" he said. "I'm here now. What can I do for you?"

A while after tea and biscuits had been scoffed by the kids… Sarah Jane had time to talk with the Brigadier.

"How have you been?" she asked.

The Brigadier was well but tired.

"I've been up all morning," he confessed. "I heard the news of a saucer over Ealing and I immediately thought of you!"

"So you rushed down here after I telephoned?" she replied, happily.

"I did indeed," he said. "But you seem to be troubled?" he sighed. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Yes," she said. "UNIT have been infiltrated by the Slitheen, - alien aggressors from raxacoricofallapatorius."

"I see…" he said. "So with Unit out of action, and the enemy ready to destroy us, what is it you'd like me to do?"

"There must be a connection between the infiltration of Unit and the Slitheen's intent on the destruction of the Earth!"

"What if…" said Luke, wandering across the living room to the Brigadier, and introducing himself as Luke Smith before adding, - "… what if the Slitheen have come across a weapon on Earth with the destructive capabilities of the Skitotski?"

"Who are the Skitotski?" asked the Brigadier.

"They're the Slitheen," replied Maria. "They tricked us!"

"Go on…" said the Brigadier, turning his attention to Luke. "You were saying?"

"Yes," said Luke. "Everything so far has been false… so what if the Slitheen had to infiltrate UNIT for a purpose?"

"Are there any weapons on Earth that are powerful enough to wipe us out… that UNIT would have access to?" asked Sarah Jane, turning to the Brigadier.

"Yes…" he said, shamefully. "There is but one I can think of, a defence weapon known as Osterhagen One, referred to as the Osterhagen Project…"

To be continued...


	11. Chapter 11: Mission Accomplished

Sarah Jane Adventures

Intervention

Chapter Eleven: Mission Accomplished

By Nathan Mullins

* * *

><p>"Well…" said Sarah Jane. "…that must be it!" she agreed.<p>

"What is the Osterhagen Project?" asked Maria as she put down her biscuits and sat beside the Brigadier.

"There are missiles deep beneath the Earth's crust," explained the Brigadier. "Nuclear missiles… and to be used to save humanity from a worse fate."

"That makes no sense at all," replied Clyde. "What would be the point in using them if by chance alien aggressors wished to enslave us instead?"

"But would humanity wish to be enslaved?" asked the Brigadier.

"Well," said Clyde. "It would be better than being wiped out!"

"Be serious Clyde!" moaned Maria. "What matters is there are missiles below the Earth's crust that are about to be primed and we must do something about it!"

"I can call Geneva!" decided the Brigadier. "Call on the project to be abandoned. All missiles will be deactivated!"

"Good work Brigadier!" cheered Sarah Jane as she led him to the telephone.

"But can you do that?" wondered Maria. "Do you have the authority to call on the project to be abandoned?"

"Of course I do," he replied. "I'm Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart!"

Sarah Jane turned to her friends and smiled. She was delighted.

The Osterhagen keys were in the claws of the Slitheen.

"On my count," declared the Slitheen leader anticipating the turn of events. "Five…four… three… two…"

The Brigadier hung up.

"All sorted," he said, pleased with his efforts. "We will have no trouble from the Slitheen!"

When the Slitheen turned the keys in the small booths in UNIT Headquarters… nothing happened.

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded the Slitheen leader.

"We have been found out!" said another.

"This must be the work of those who meddled in the beginning…" said one, poking it's head up from the taskforce. "This must be the work of Sarah Jane Smith!"

"So our plans have been foiled but we may still seek revenge!"

Back at 13 Bannerman Road… Sarah Jane and friends were enjoying a very early start to the day. Having saved the Earth from the Slitheen, Maria and Clyde had snuck back home without either of their parents knowing they'd been gone.

The Brigadier on the other hand had stayed the night and was now on his way out. A car was out the front and the Brigadier made his farewells.

"Good luck!" he said, as he kissed Sarah Jane goodbye. Take care Luke, and say goodbye to your friends for me!"

The Brigadier waved them off from the back window of his car as it sped down the drive.

"Nice fellow," said Luke.

"Yes," said Sarah Jane. "But something's still not right…"

"What is it mum?" Luke asked her, hesitantly.

"So we saved the Earth and stopped the Slitheen blowing us up, but what will the Slitheen try next?"

"What do you mean?" he replied. "Do you think the Slitheen will try again?"

There was a knock at the door. It was Clyde. Luke let him in.

"You won't guess," he said. "Mum didn't even know I'd been out, not that I told her or anything," he added.

"Where's Maria?" asked Luke.

"Across the lawn there," he replied. "So is the situation now all under control?"

"Not in the least," said Luke. "Mum's concerned…"

"What about Sarah Jane?" asked Clyde.

There was another knock at the door. It was Maria.

"What have I missed?" she asked them.

Luke shut the door after her.

"Not a lot," he sighed.

"The Slitheen are still out there," said Sarah Jane. "Their ship was destroyed, therefore they can never return home, and so are stuck here!"

"Ah, I see," said Clyde. "So what do we do, gather all the bottles of vinegar we can find?"

"No," said Sarah Jane. "This can all end peacefully, I'm sure!"

Suddenly the door was smashed in and in the doorframe was the Slitheen.

"You could have knocked!" declared Clyde.

The Slitheen reached forward, dangled Clyde by his trainers and chucked him aside.

"You have meddled for the last time, Sarah Jane Smith!"

The Slitheen snorted and sneered and slithered.

"And so have you, it would seem," she replied. "I'd like to forgive and forget. If you agree… we can avoid bloodshed!"

The Slitheen shook their heads. The Slitheen leader stepped forward. "Kill them!" he ordered.

Sarah Jane ducked for cover as their leader dived forward, but tripped up by Clyde and fell flat on its back.

"Into the kitchen!" she yelled. Maria rushing after her with Luke and Clyde behind her.

Sarah Jane was raiding the cupboards.

"What are we searching for?" asked Maria.

"Guess!" cried Luke, as he found a bottle of vinega.

The kitchen door was being kicked and scraped.

"Any second now and we're finished!" said Clyde.

Then Sarah Jane found what she was looking for. She took out from under the sink a box of over thirty bottles of vinega.

"What on Earth are you doing with all those?" bellowed Maria.

"I thought I'd stock up," she said, just when the door fell open and the Slitheen entered. Each armed with a bottle, they squeezed and squelched until the Slitheen were covered and unable to escape the undesirable liquid. As it trickled down their skin, they squirmed and screamed as they began to fizz and pop into green goo.

Again, Sarah Jane and friends were all covered in green slime. It was disgusting. It dripped from their hands, their sleeves, the bottles of vinega.

It was over.


End file.
